Turkish Parliament to prepare measures package against agro frost

An investigation commission established within Parliament for the purpose of evaluating and minimizing the adverse impacts of recent agricultural frost that affected Türkiye will prepare a “proposal package” containing the studies and measures to be implemented in the specific regions, according to a report on Sunday.

The “Agricultural Frost Event Investigation Commission” will meet on Tuesday, May 20, under the chairmanship of Adem Korkmaz, the Bordur deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

The commission will determine the working method and calendar for planned activities. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the meeting, Korkmaz recalled that an agricultural frost affecting many provinces was experienced in April.

Stating that studies were carried out quickly after the incident, Korkmaz also recalled that an investigation commission was established in Parliament with the joint decision of the parties. Furthermore, he said at the commission meeting on Tuesday that they would discuss the road map regarding the work they intend to carry out.

A severe frost in mid-April impacted fruit and crop production in several Turkish provinces, from the western coast and central Anatolia to the country’s southeast. The plants, including grapes, apples and apricots, were among those affected.

Explaining that the commission will carry out its work in two stages, he detailed the activities for the upcoming period.

“In a short time, with a rapid field study, we will listen to the concerns our citizens on this issue. As members of the investigation commission, we will quickly prepare the data we collect in the regions exposed to the frost event as a proposal package. This will be our first study,” he said.

“Our second study, which we will spread over time, will be with a large technical team, on what precautions we need to take today when our people encounter such agricultural frosts and similar events in the future, technical measures, studies that need to be done in terms of legislation and perhaps the precautions that producers need to take,” he added.

Korkmaz also emphasized that the preliminary report and the final report will not be independent of each other.

Government officials had earlier said the nation’s food supply remains secure in terms of strategic crops. However, initial findings indicated damage to various fruit types. Apart from covering domestic demand, Türkiye in general also exports notable volumes of vegetables, fruits and dry fruits each year.

Also touching upon the Agricultural Insurance Pool (TARSIM), Korkmaz mentioned it is a state-supported insurance system, established to reduce the risks faced by the producers, suggesting, however, that this system could not be spread to the desired extent.

He cited there could be different reasons for this, but emphasized they would put these “on the table.”

“There may be reasons arising from the system, there may be ineffectiveness of our people in terms of insurance awareness, because despite the fact that the state largely covers it, there may be other reasons for the lack of spread of this insurance, we will put these on the table,” Korkmaz said.

Moreover, he also stated that agricultural production has become difficult now, drawing attention to global climate change and migration from rural to urban areas as issues affecting agricultural production.

“Agricultural production has become the most important issue in an age when food is not only a matter of production but also a strategic and security issue. With this perspective, we will submit our report that we will create with the work of this commission to our parliament,” he said.

“I want this report to not only be a report that has entered the shelves of the research commission and Parliament when our work is completed, but also a strong, technical, academic and political report that will form the basis for agricultural and rural studies to be carried out from now on.”

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